Soon enough, we were standing in a large open training ground behind the Academy. There was a wide dirt field and, at the back, a running track that went around the area.
Ikuta-sensei stood with his hands behind his back.
"We'll start with laps around the training area," he said.
Then he raised his voice.
"What are you waiting for? Start running!"
Everyone took off.
I was already a little tired from my morning workout, but I still had plenty of stamina left. My breathing was steady.
I started at a moderate pace, staying somewhere in the middle of the group. No need to rush too early.
At the front, Sasuke immediately took the lead.
Right behind him was Kiba.
Then Hinata.
After them came Shino, Choji, Ino, and Shikamaru.
I was behind that group.
Behind me were Sakura and most of the civilian kids.
It was clear.
There was a visible gap between the shinobi clan children and the civilian kids.
Not surprising.
Clan kids were trained at home.
Civilians were not.
We completed the first lap.
My breathing was still controlled.
It looks like I need to increase my speed.
I leaned forward slightly and pushed harder. Within seconds, I passed Shikamaru.
He barely reacted.
Then I overtook Ino.
Choji soon followed.
Then Shino.
My legs felt strong.
My stamina held steady. Ahead of me, Hinata had already passed Kiba.
She was faster than she looked.
Now only three people remained in front of me.
Sasuke.
Hinata.
Kiba.
I narrowed my eyes.
Alright. Time to push.
I increased my speed again.
If I want to dominate this academy. I cannot stay in the middle.
I slowly increased my pace again.
We completed the second lap. I was now just behind Kiba.
As the third lap started, I pushed a little harder and quickly overtook him.
"What the-?!" Kiba shouted from behind. "Hey! Get back here!"
I ignored him. Now only two people were ahead of me.
Sasuke.
And Hinata.
To my surprise, Hinata was keeping up with Sasuke.
Not just keeping up.
She was pressuring him.
Either she had been slowly increasing her speed like I was…
Or Sasuke's stamina was not as great as everyone believed.
We finished the third lap.
When the fourth lap began, something unexpected happened.
Hinata overtook Sasuke.
Smoothly.
The look on Sasuke's face was priceless.
Like he had bitten into a sour lemon.
I almost laughed.
If I had to guess, we were running five laps. Which meant two laps remained. No point holding back anymore.
Time to go all out.
I leaned forward and released more of my speed.
My legs moved faster.
My breathing stayed steady. Within seconds, I passed Sasuke.
I did not look back. But I could imagine his expression.
Now only one person remained ahead of me.
Hinata.
What happened to her?
In canon, she was shy and quiet.
In this world, she was calm and mute.
And fast.
Very fast.
There was more to her story. That scar on her neck…
Something had changed.
But interesting or not, I was not going to let her win.
I slowly closed the gap.
Closer.
Closer.
One step behind.
Two steps behind.
Then, Three.
I passed her.
After that, I maintained my position.
First place.
Just like I predicted.
After completing the fifth lap, Ikuta-sensei raised his hand.
"Stop!"
Everyone slowed down. Some kids collapsed on the ground. Some bent over, breathing heavily.
I stood upright, controlling my breathing.
The final ranking looked like this:
First, Me.
Second, Hinata.
Third, Sasuke.
Fourth, Kiba.
Fifth, Shino.
Then, surprisingly, Ino.
After her, Choji.
Then Shikamaru.
Two civilian kids.
Then Sakura.
And the rest followed.
There was a clear gap between the top group and the others.
I glanced at Hinata. She did not look tired.
Not even slightly.
Our eyes met for a brief moment.
I gave her a small wave.
She stared at me for a few seconds, then calmly turned away and walked toward the water station.
No reaction.
Sasuke, on the other hand, looked annoyed.
Very annoyed.
Losing to one person was bad enough.
Losing to two?
That clearly bothered him.
After the running session, Ikuta-sensei made us do basic stretching exercises. Then we were told to drop down for push-ups.
The training was beginner level.
Honestly, my morning workout was harder than this.
But I understood why.
Not everyone in this class had trained for years.
After physical training, we were given a one-hour break.
Students chatted.
Some ate snacks.
Some compared who ran faster.
I stayed quiet and alone.
The second period was Shinobi History.
Ikuta-sensei spoke about the founding of Konoha.
Hashirama Senju.
Madara Uchiha.
Two powerful shinobi who came together to create a village where children would not need to fight in endless wars.
The story was almost the same as canon. For a moment, I expected something different.
This was an alternate world, after all.
But so far, the official history sounded normal.
Then again…
This is the ninja world. What is written in books is not always the full truth.
After history came Chakra Theory.
We learned what chakra is.
The mixture of physical energy and spiritual energy.
Why do we need it?
How it flows in the body.
Basic meditation techniques.
Introduction to hand seals.
It was simple.
But important.
After that, there was another one-hour break. Then came normal subjects.
Mathematics.
Language.
Geography.
Basic biology.
Nothing exciting.
Before I realized it, the Academy day was over.
Students began leaving in groups.
Some laughed.
Some argued.
Some walked alone.
I stepped outside and looked at the sky. Academy training was basic..
I cracked my neck slightly.
Time for my own training montage.
Now the question was, Where should I train?
I needed a quiet place. Isolated.
Somewhere I would not attract attention.
Then it clicked.
Training Ground 44.
The Forest of Death.
"Perfect," I muttered.
I began jogging toward it.
It took me around thirty minutes to reach the area. The forest was surrounded by a tall fence. No guards were visible at the entrance.
The place looked massive.
Dense trees.
Thick shadows.
A heavy, wild feeling in the air.
"That's a big forest," I whispered.
Well. No turning back now.
I climbed the fence carefully and dropped down on the other side.
The moment I landed, I activated my chakra sensing. There were many chakra signatures inside the forest.
Animals.
Small creatures.
A few larger ones deeper inside.
But no ANBU nearby.
No one is watching me. Not since morning.
Maybe because I started the Academy. Or maybe they think I am safe now.
Either way, Good.
I walked deeper into the forest until the fence was no longer visible. After reaching a quiet clearing, I stopped.
I exhaled slowly.
"I've been waiting a long time to try this again," I said.
I closed my eyes.
I remembered that feeling.
Three years ago.
The orphanage.
The matron squeezing the life out of me.
The feeling of death.
The surge of chakra.
I focused.
I felt the chakra flowing inside me.
Strong.
Warm.
Wild.
Blue chakra gathered around my arms. It formed a thin layer from my hands to my forearms.
Then I opened my eyes.
"Chakra Armament: Fang Manifestation!"
It felt cool to shout the name.
Three elongated chakra blades extended from the knuckles of each hand.
They were denser than before.
More stable.
Slightly curved.
Semi-solid.
I raised my arms.
For a second, I felt like a miniature wolverine.
Then
A voice broke the silence.
"Garrr,"
"I was wondering when you'd stop hiding."
I turned around.
A large black panther stood at the branch of a large tree.
Its body was low. Muscles tight.
Eyes locked on me.
It had been following me since I entered the forest.
"You'll be my first real opponent," I said calmly.
"If I don't count the matron"
I raised my arms and shifted into a ready stance.
The panther growled.
Low.
Dangerous.
Time to test myself..